All information from the Himalayan Wolves Project
Himalayan Wolf same as Tibetan Wolf
Common Names: Tibetan Wolf
Overall population: unknown
Physical description:
Range:
Original range –
Current range – Nepalese Himalayas and high altitudes of the Tibetan plateau, Indian Himalayas and a few hybridized with grey wolves in Kyrgyzstan. Bhutan.
Habitat / Ecology / Prey:
Habitat –
Ecology–
Prey– Kiang (Equus kiang), markhor (Capra falconeri), Himalayan blue sheep “bharal” “naur” (Pseudois nayaur), Argali (Ovis ammon), Tibetan gazelle “goa” (Procapra picticaudata), Thorold’s deer “white-lipped” (Cervus albirostris), Stoliczka’s mountain vole (Alticola stoliczkanus), Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana), woolly hare (Lepus oiostolus), plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica)
Non-prey – Snow leopard “ounce” (Panthera uncia), Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Tibetan “sand” fox (Vulpes ferrilata), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus)
Beautiful Birds of the Himalayas!
Common Raven (Corvus corax) Himalayan large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), Redshank (Tringa totanus), Himalayan Griffon Vulture (Gyps himalayensis), Himalayan Snowcock (Tetraogallus himalayensis), Tibetan Snowcock (Tetraogallus tibetanus), Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus),
Yellow-breasted greenfinch (Chloris spinoides), Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus), Robin Accentor (Prunella rubeculoides), Streaked Rosefinch (Carpodacus rubicilloides), Black-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla adamsi), Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar), Fire-Fronted serin (Serinus pusillus), Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), Tibetan Blackbird (Turdus maximus) Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus), Grandala (Grandala coelicolor), Plain Mountain finch (Leucosticte nemoricola). Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch (Carpodacus pulcherrimus), Himalayan Rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis), Tibetan Snowfinch (Montifringilla henrici)
Unique behaviors:
Legal and Cultural Background:
Conservation:
Taxonomic/Genetic Information:
“a genetic adaptation to cope with the hypoxic stresses in the high altitude habitats”
LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION
Further Reading
Wolves in Tibet
Wolves in India
Wolves in Nepal
Wolves in China
Journal / Scientific Publications:
Morphometric evidence for the differentiation of the Himalayan wolf Canis lupus chanco (Canidae; Carnivora) S Viranta, G Werhahn, FA Machado – Mammal Research, 2025
ABSTRACT
The taxonomy of wolves (Canis sp. complex) is under increasing scrutiny due to molecular evidence revealing the existence of multiple cryptic lineages. Among these, the Himalayan wolf (Canis cf. lupus chanco), native to the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas, represents one of the most ancient lineages in Eurasia. Its morphological distinction from grey wolf populations remains poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the morphological differentiation of the Himalayan wolf by analyzing specimens from museum collections using linear and 2D geometric morphometrics. Our comparative analysis included skulls from various wolf populations across Eurasia, grouped according to known genetic lineages. Although linear measurements failed to reveal clear diagnostic features, geometric morphometric analysis indicated that Himalayan wolves possess a shorter muzzle and wider zygomatic arch than other populations. These traits may reflect adaptations to their environment and prey preferences. However, the overlap with other wolf populations was significant, and cross-validation analyses showed low reclassification rates, indicative of morphological conservatism within Canidae. Moreover, several museum specimens previously labeled as Himalayan wolves were misidentified, complicating the taxonomic assessment. Our findings provide support for the subtle morphological distinctiveness of the Himalayan wolf, though further integrative studies incorporating genomic and 3D modeling approaches are required to clarify the taxonomic status of this group.
On the occurrence of the Himalayan Wolf Canis lupus, L. 1758 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal; its existence confirmed through sign and visual evidence in Rolwaling Valley. Pandey BP, Thami SM, Shrestha R, Chalise MK. Journal of Threatened Taxa. 2021 Jul
ABSTRACT
The Himalayan Wolf Canis lupus L., a top predator of the Third Pole, is proposed to be of a distinct wolf lineage (C. himalayensis) relative to the Holarctic Grey Wolf as described by mtDNA analyses. A biodiversity survey organized by the Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project (GCAP) has captured images of wolves in three different regions, and the study team has observed wolf scats in five additional regions above the tree line in Rolwaling Valley. Further, interviews with local herders provided evidence of wolf depredation of livestock in the area. The Rolwaling Valley in the Gaurishankar Conservation Area was the study area which was divided into 12, 4 x 4 km (16 km2) grid cells, each supplied with one camera trap operated continuously from June to November 2019 (only 6 out of 12 cameras functioned for the duration of our study). Wolf detections were recorded by camera traps from Yalung Pass (4,956 m), Tsho-Rolpa glacial Lake (4,536 m) and the Dudhkunda ridgeline (5,091 m). The photo capture rate index (PCRI) for wolves was 0.71. Our study reports the first photographic evidence of the Himalayan Wolf in the Rolwaling Valley.
Phylogeny and ecology of the Himalayan wolf (Doctoral dissertation, University of Oxford) Werhahn, G., 2020.
Perspectives of traditional Himalayan communities on fostering coexistence with Himalayan wolf and snow leopard. Kusi N, Sillero‐Zubiri C, Macdonald DW, Johnson PJ, Werhahn G. Conservation Science and Practice. 2019 Dec
Himalayan wolf foraging ecology and the importance of wild prey. Werhahn G, Kusi N, Li X, Chen C, Zhi L, Martín RL, Sillero-Zubiri C, Macdonald DW. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2019 Oct
Dietary spectrum in Himalayan wolves: comparative analysis of prey choice in conspecifics across high-elevation rangelands of Asia. Lyngdoh SB, Habib B, Shrotriya S. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY. 2019 Aug
[HTML] Livestock depredation by snow leopard and Tibetan wolf: Implications for herders’ livelihoods in Wangchuck Centennial National Park, Bhutan
Y Jamtsho, O Katel – Pastoralism, 2019 Jan
Western Himalayan Forests in Climate Change Scenario
A Roy, P Rathore – Remote Sensing of Northwest Himalayan Ecosystems, 2018 Oct
The unique genetic adaptation of the Himalayan wolf to high-altitudes and consequences for conservation; Geraldine Werhahna, Helen Senn, Muhammad Ghazali, DibeshKarmacharya, Adarsh ManSherchan, Jyoti Joshi, Naresh Kusi, José Vincente, López-Bao, Tanya Rosen, Shannon Kachel, Claudio Sillero-Zubiri, David W.Macdonald; Global Ecology and Conservation, 2018 Oct
Understanding Public Perceptions to Carnivores: Examining Communities in Upper Mustang, Nepal; A Upraity – 2018 Sep
[PDF] Conservation implications for the Himalayan wolf Canis (lupus) himalayensis based on observations of packs and home sites in Nepal
G Werhahn, N Kusi, C Sillero-Zubiri, DW Macdonald – Oryx, 2017 Sep
Phylogenetic evidence for the ancient Himalayan wolf: towards a clarification of its taxonomic status based on genetic sampling from western Nepal; Geraldine Werhahn, Helen Senn, Jennifer Kaden, Jyoti Joshi, Susmita Bhattarai, Naresh Kusi, Claudio Sillero-Zubiri, and David W. Macdonald; The Royal Society 2017 Jun
[HTML] Snow leopard and Himalayan wolf: food habits and prey selection in the central Himalayas, Nepal; M Chetri, M Odden, P Wegge – PloS one, 2017 Feb
[HTML] Ancient Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco) lineage in Upper Mustang of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal M Chetri, YV Jhala, SR Jnawali, N Subedi, M Dhakal… – ZooKeys, 2016 Apr
[HTML] Hypoxia adaptations in the grey wolf (Canis lupus chanco) from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; W Zhang, Z Fan, E Han, R Hou, L Zhang… – PLoS 2014 Jul
A survey of depredation and related wildlife-human conflicts in the Hemis National Park, Ladakh (India). Bhatnagaer YV, Stakrey RW, Jackson R. Bulletin of the International Snow Leopard Trust. 2000